Just in time for Kurisumasu, ryuu_zer0 and I, with special guest Minami (A regular in our IRC channel) are proud to present the first of many Anime season previews! Continue reading to find out our recommendations for the Winter 2011/2 season.
P.S: A reminder that competition entries for our Arrietty giveaway closes 12noon AWST 31 December 2011. Make sure you get your entry in before then! The competition is now open to everyone! Hit this post to find out more.
The "Winter" list. Which will hopefully help cool off the summer heat.
Amagami SS+
Studio: AIC. Director: Kobayashi Tomoki.
Savage1: The season that the original series aired will always be remembered fondly. One of the better romance shows out there. Watch this for the Ai, Kaoru and Miya. (It also has awesome music).
ryuu_zer0: Based on a dating-sim and the sequel to the popular Amagami SS, which aired last year. It will consist of 2 episode arcs that follow on from the arcs in the first season. Expect a lot of great romance and delicious anime-original content. AI IS LOVE (and my waifu so gtfo).
Minami: I still hate visual novel eroge adaptations. It takes a lot to convince me to watch one (unless it aired this year because I watch almost everything that airs now). That said, I had never heard of an “omnibus” anime when I first saw Amagami. The idea sounded like it would fall flat on its face. Who really wants to watch a guy be a pussy so many times in a row? Amagami would be forgotten a few months after it ended. Nope. I was wrong. It was one of the few dating sim adaptations I’d even consider rewatching, let alone watching it the first time. I have high hopes for Amagami SS+.
Ano Natsu de Matteru
Studio: J.C. Staff. Director: Nagai Tatsuyuki.
Savage1: The Onegai Teacher, and Onegai Twins staff return for yet another romance show. The Onegai franchise will always be one of anime’s I hold close to my heart. I expect another fantastic romance anime. (If you haven’t watched any of the onegai franchise do so now.) DID I MENTION THAT THE DIRECTOR OF TORADORA IS DOING THIS. My expectations are high; I hope I don’t get let down.
ryuu_zer0: J.C. Staff have been very hit-and-miss of late, but with a completely original story directed by the same man who gave us the GREATEST LOVE STORY EVER TOLD, I have high expectations of this one.
Minami: The director from Toradora!, Railgun, and AnoHana? Animated by J.C. Staff? Hell yeah; get ready for an amazing love story with terrible Bluray mastering. Don’t expect the art itself to be that great either. However, the story will more than make up for it.
Another
Studio: P.A. Works. Director: Mizushima Tsutomu.
Savage1: ”In P.A. Works I trust.” Seriously: After True Tears I’ve thoroughly enjoyed almost every show made by this studio. The premise seems solid, and the original source material is a novel. Expect a well developed plot and character development.
ryuu_zer0: P.A. Works have produced some brilliant shows recently, including Hanasaku Iroha. Expect some eye-poppingly beautiful art, and great drama. Of all the shows this season, this is the one I’m looking forward to most.
Minami: These guys brought you True Tears, Hanasaku Iroha, Canaan, and Angel Beats! Haters gonna hate on that last one, but these were great shows. Expecting another hit from them.
Aquarion EVOL
Studio: SatelightX8-bit. Director: Yamamoto Yusuke.
Savage1: A show for the mecha fans, A little anime called Macross was made by the studios that do this anime. If you love fighting robots, give this franchise a shot.
ryuu_zer0: If you’ve watched the first Aquarion, then you’d probably know what to expect of the second installment. Mecha lovers will enjoy this one. Expect over-the-top battles and possibly some story to boot.
Minami: You don’t even need to watch the prequels to get into mecha animes. That’s one of the things I love about them. Fighting robots are a staple of anime and if you think you’re too good to watch them, you’re a hipster.
Area no Kishi
Studio: Shin-Ei Animation. Director: Ogura Hirofumi.
Savage1: I dislike sports animes. ryuu_zer0 wants to include it though so ::see below::.
ryuu_zer0: I’m not actually a big fan of sports anime either, but recently there have been some great ones, including Moshidora and Chihayafuru, so it may be worth giving this a try.
Minami: Moshidora wasn’t that great. I do agree with ryuu_zer0 on Chihayafuru. I’ll be giving this show two episodes to impress me. It probably will because I like sports animes.
BLACK★ROCK SHOOTER
Studio: Ordet & SANZIGEN Director: Yoshioka Shinobu.
Savage1: I remember when the OVA came out: Everyone was like THIS IS GONNA BE AMAZING. Nope.jpg. This T.V. Adaption will either be just as bad, or give us an actual ::plot::.
ryuu_zer0: BURAKKU ROKKU SHUUTAAAAAAAA doko e itta noooooo? kikoemasu kaaaaaaaaa? MIKU + SUPERCELL LOVE <3
Minami: I remember watching the OVA :smirk: It made no sense at all. Will this series clear up anything? Considering that it’s based on a line of toys, I don’t think so. The art will still be great though, if the OVA was any kind of indicator.
Brave 10
Studio: Studio Sakimakura. Director: Sayama Kiyoko.
Savage1: I haven’t really watched this type of anime since Basilisk and Sword of the Stranger. Going to give the genre another shot because the Winter season is making me feel nostalgic. Expect lots of awesome fighting and maybe some dorama.
ryuu_zer0: An ordinary 10 year old boy named Ben stumbles upon an alien watch called the Omnitrix that gives him the power to transform into…wait wrong show.
Minami: Every season there’s at least one anime based on old legends about the Warring States Period in Japan. And I watch them every time because they’re awesome.
Daily Lives of High School Boys
Studio: Sunrise. Director: Takamatsu Shinji.
Savage1: Slice of life by Sunrise… What could ::possibly:: go wrong?
ryuu_zer0: K-On with guys. If any of you watched Kimi to Boku last season (I certainly didn’t) you’d probably know what to expect. Expect more comedy than BL vibes, though.
Minami: More like Nichijou with guys. It’s a shounen manga so don’t expect any BL vibes at all.
Gundam Seed Remaster
Studio: Sunrise. Director: Fukuda Mitsuo.
Savage1: Seed is the best Gundam timeline. This is a Seed HD remaster. No. This is not the horror that was Seed Destiny. It’s legit, and everyone should watch it.
ryuu_zer0: Gundam. SEED. HD. ‘Nuff said.
Minami: While I’m not going to say that SEED was the best timeline, I do consider it one of the best. HD remaster? Hell yeah.
High School DxD
Studio: TNK. Director: Yanagisawa Tetsuya.
Savage1: This season’s obligatory harem show. Saabisu~saabisu~! It’s also going to be screened by AT-X, which has limited censoring for those of you who love Zettai Ryouiki~!
ryuu_zer0: Expect breasts. Lots of breasts. And probably loads of gore too. If you’re into this kind of thing, it might be worth waiting for uncensored Blu-rays to get full enjoyment out of this.
Minami: This is a light novel adaptation. Don’t let Savage1′s description of this as the “obligatory harem show” fool you. I had the same suspicions about Cube x Cursed x Curious but that show turned out to be excellent. The music sounds great as well. Haters gonna hate.
Inu x Boku SS
Studio: David Production. Director: Tsuda Naokatsu.
Savage1: Think Black Butler without the BL, and with more loli. Made by the upcoming studio david production (who did Ben-To last season), this show will either be another mediocre loli show, or something nice.
ryuu_zer0: inb4 the loli is actually a guy and it becomes a BL show.
Minami: I actually enjoyed Ben-Ten fighting aliens all the time, so if the studio’s getting involved in another show, it’s definitely going on my watch list.
Kyousougiga
Studio: Toei Animation. Director: Matsumoto Rie.
Savage1: This show is going to be a ONA (Original Network Animation; think Xam’d: Lost Memories). The premise seems interesting, so this will be one to watch out for.
ryuu_zer0: What it actually reminds me of, is a Summer Wars x Alice in Wonderland cross. Looks like it has potential.
Minami: The ONA that came out this month was actually a teaser. The full series comes out in March. Looks like a bit of Madoka and Ghostbusters to me.
Natsume Yuujinchou Shi
Studio: Brains Base. Director: Omori Takahiro.
Savage1: You should give this franchise a shot to see if you like it or not. I sadly was the latter.
ryuu_zer0: Continues on from the third season. Natsume Yuujinchou is, in my opinon, a gem of an anime that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. Needless to say, I will definitely be watching this one.
Minami: I honestly don’t have an opinion. I missed out on the first season, not about to catch up with it because I’ve built up a huge backlog of other animes.
Nisemonogatari
Studio: SHAFT. Director: Shinbo Akiyuki.
Savage1: Bakemonogatari was awesome. This is Bakemonogatari with two sisters. I don’t know what can get better than this. Going into this expecting the same amount of awesome. Why does Araragi get Senjougahara as well as two awesome imoutos~.
ryuu_zer0: SHAFT can do no wrong, it seems, and they’re definitely cashing in on the -monogatari franchise. Sequel to Bakemonogatari, expect more of their quirky art style and head tilts galore.
Minami: This is the next installment in the Bakemonogatari franchise. The first show focused on Hitagi and the other girls Araragi met, but Nisemonogatari will center around his two younger sisters. Nishio Ishin’s writing? Check. Japanese puns none of you will understand? Check. Subtle tsundere humor? I hope so.
Papa no Iu koto o Kikinasai
Studio: Feel. Director: Kawasaki Itsuro.
Savage1: There is one show about lolis that is a masterpiece. That show is Astarotte no Omocha (and maybe Usagi Drop as well). This show will either turn out as awesome as AstarotteXAsuhariet, or get thrown into the pit of mediocre loli fanservice shows. I do think that this might become something amazing, I just hope it doesn’t turn into another Onii-chan no Koto nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!!
ryuu_zer0: Anime with premises like this always end up being ticking time bombs. You never know when it will degrade into random panty shots and lose all semblance of a plot. However, this looks like it has potential for some good laughs, and the art looks superb.
Minami: There won’t be any incest, if that’s what you sickos wanted. The girls actually hate the protagonist, unlike Ochinko. I mean, what else would you feel if you suddenly had to live with a relative you’ve never met? Unless you’re 4, you’re going to feel like everything’s being taken away from you. If anything, it might turn out like Astarotte no Omocha: a show about family bonds growing stronger. I know what you’re thinking.
Recorder to Randoseru
Studio: Seven. Director: Kimura Hiroshi.
Savage1: The show seems interesting, but it’s based on a 4-koma manga; so ::plot::. Will be watching this one with interest and see if it turns out to be anything amazing.
ryuu_zer0: The premise seems pretty strange, but it may be worth giving this one a shot. The idea of an elder sister/younger brother relationship being turned upside down does kinda intrigue me, and it has an all-star cast featuring names like Kugimiya Rie and Hirano Aya.
Minami: Don’t throw this out just because it’s a 4-koma. B-Gata H-Kei was a masterpiece.
Senhime Zesshou Symphogear
Studio: Encourage Films. Director: Itou Tatsufumi
Savage1: My first thought: Strike Witches without the loli. Who in their right mind would want to watch Strike Witches without the loli; that’s like watching gundam without the robots O_o. But, I’m going to give this a shot anyway just to see if it might actually turn out to be fun. Oh and THE GODDESS MIZUKI NANA.
ryuu_zer0: At first this looks like another fanservice-laden harem show, but it has the potential to be much more. With Satelight involved, and names such as Takayama Minami and Mizuki Nana, this could be a great show after all. One thing is for sure though, expect a god-tier soundtrack
Minami: You know what? I loved Freezing. Kickass hotties saving the world sounds like a winning formula to me. Also, all-star casts don’t necessarily mean a good show. Exhibit A: Infinite Stratos. Yeah, expect a good soundtrack, but the reason I can recommend this is because I know what to expect from anime, so bad anime doesn’t leave me disappointed.
Smile Precure!
Studio: Toei Animation. Director: Unknown.
Savage1: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha will always be my favourite Mahou Shoujo. Smile Precure! is yet another anime in the Precure franchise. You will probably be watching it if you’ve seen the previous series; and if you haven’t give it a shot if you’re interested in the mahou shoujo genre; this show has good music.
ryuu_zer0: ┐(￣ー￣)┌
Minami: If you don’t want to get into this show, you can always buy the soundtrack later. If you haven’t seen Nanoha yet, pass on this one and go watch that first.
Tantei Opera Milky Homes 2
Studio: J.C. Staff. Director: Moriwaki Makoto.
Savage1: Chen, the club’s treasurer will probably never forgive me if I don’t include this. Loli detectives + J.C. Staff + good music = this show. You should give Milky Holmes a shot if you haven’t to see if you like it. It’s ::interesting:: to say the least.
ryuu_zer0: What Savage1 said.
Minami: Another sequel. You’ll know if you want to watch it if you’ve seen the first. That said, go for it if you have the free time.
Zero no Tsukaima F
Studio: J.C. Staff. Director: Iwasaki Yoshiaki.
Savage1: These past two seasons have seen a return of many of my favourite franchises from the 04-08 era. Back in the day I used to watch Shakugan no Shana, and Zero no Tsukaima religiously. Many people new to the franchise will probably be thinking >kugi rie >loli show >toradora is the greatest thing ever; everything else sucks. I won’t spoil anything in the franchise, but rest assured that Zero no Tsukaima has one of the better love stories. When this was announced I was like: I SAY YES ZUTTOOOOOOOOOOO~!
ryuu_zer0: Yeah, I haven’t watched ZnT or Shana. Come at me.
Minami: I remember when I first came across this series. I went to Eclipse’s site every week for Code Geass R2 and noticed Princess no Rondo on there as well. I decided to check it out, and the first five minutes turned out to be Saito getting it on. I knew right then and there that I had to watch this whole series. Since this is the fourth installment in the series, this is a “for fans” anime. HOWEVER, if you’re not a fan yet, I will look down upon you until you’ve marathoned this franchise, like ryuu_zer0 trolololol
Ryuu, I’d like to hear you read out your preview for black rock shooter IRL. With effort.